Achieving the digital business ambitions enterprises are grappling with is pushing software to break all manner of boundaries and changing the very structure of the market. There is inexorable SaaS adoption, the shift towards insight and data driven interfaces via AI/machine learning, applications as malleable services and technology stacks, and widely connected platforms and ecosystems. These advances create new possibilities, bring new levels of complexity - and drive enterprises to reassess their relationship with suppliers.

As enterprises explore digital prospects they expect more from their suppliers. This is pushing software suppliers outside their comfort zones and deeper into areas such as component lifecycle management, and data management. And as connected digtial businesses don't 'see' discrete functions, software, business processes and infrastructure boundaries are breaking.